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Industrial Design Alum Makes a Difference
Indus trial Design A lum Makes a Dif ference
one-year grant from the Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 to create the RE3 program to boost N.C.’s recycling totals. Rademacher decided to stay on as an intern to develop the campaign with Harrison for a year instead of taking a position in industrial design because he wanted to help make a difference.
“RE3 is a social marketing based program and is one of a kind,” says Harrison. She noticed there was no specific campaign to increase recycling among this 18-34 demographic. The Recycle Guys program that N.C. adopted from South Carolina is targeted to 5-12 year olds. Though successful at reaching youngsters, this childish approach didn’t really appeal to the demographic that N.C. really wanted to educate to recycle. Dancing bottles and cans just didn’t cut it for the 20-something crowed, a group who are high consumers of products that can be recycled. N.C. wanted to reach them in a new, fresh way. In fact, males in this 18-34 demographic are least likely to recycle. Rademacher’s designs are aimed at that target group.
For the campaign, Rademacher was teamed with Harrison and social marketing specialist Allison Hauser, who is working on her master’s degree in public administration at NC State. The three combined social marketing and target-specific graphics to develop the RE3 campaign (www.RE3.org).
“Now that the RE3 campaign is complete, other states will be able to use the program at no cost,” says Harrison. Georgia is the first state Imagine. Graduating with a degree in Industrial Design from NC State and turning down a high-paying, field-related job to work for the greater good. That’s what Jesse Rademacher (BID 2004) did.
A college friend, Ryan Harrison (MID 2005) mentioned to Rademacher that his wife needed help with a brochure for the recycling program she was working on. So Rademacher started out by volun teering his time to develop a recycling brochure.
It started when Keefe Harrison, waste management analyst with the North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA), noticed that there were no recycling campaigns targeted at 18-34 year olds. According to her research, that same group is least likely to recycle. Then in July 2004, DPPEA received a Jesse Rademacher (center) in the RE3 display tent he designed at Wilmington’s Azalea Festival.
to fully adopt RE3. Harrison notes that “other states are really excited about the RE3 campaign so don’t be surprised if you see Jesse’s RE3 designs” picked up by other region members including Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
“When my colleagues from other states see the new RE3 campaign, they often ask who the ad agency is who put the images together. I point to Jesse. ‘What agency is Jesse with?’ they wonder. ‘No,’ I say, ‘just Jesse!’ The best part is that Jesse bundles creative talent and efficiency with this easy going personality and dry humor. It’s fun to go to work when Jesse’s part of your team!” says Harrison. The RE3 program was launched this spring. Rademacher developed a Web site with downloadable images, t-shirts, posters, commercials — all graphics he also designed. And his can panel design appeared on 4.5 million Mountain Dew cans in North Carolina this summer. Harrison says, “Pepsi is on board as a sponsor as is Sobe, Surf Camp, Time Warner, Ensely Corporation and many local governments. We sent two people who register online at RE3.org to Los Angeles to the XGames.” Harrison adds, “Jesse’s designs have been the things to get these big names on board…they like the image.” So impressed with the RE3 program, the Carolina Recycling Association awarded Rademacher and teammate Allison Hauser with the Behind the Scene Awards in March 2005.
As for Rademacher now that his one-year stint is up, he is looking for another challenge. He was at the right place at the right time to make a difference.
Top and below: Cinema ads designed by Rademacher for the RE3.org campaign.
